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P. W.. OOCHRANE. MECHANISM FOR NAPPING PABRIGS 'No. 658,353.PatentedApryl 1-89.6-

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WITNESSES: I 22 w 5164M ANDRE" B GRAHAM.FNOTO-UTNQWASNINGTDN DC.

3 t e e h S w e e h S 3 E N A R H C 0 O W R (No Model.)

MECHANISM FOR NAPPING FABRICS.

No. 558,353. P atented Apr. 14, 1896.

\\\\\ \\\wmuI ATTOR/VE UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP WV.- COOHRANE, OF SPRING CITY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFTO HARRISON F. B. BOOTII AND WILLIS G. ROGERS, OF

SAME PLACE.

MECHANISM FOR N-APPING FABRICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,353, dated April14, 1896.

A plication filed December 10,1895. Serial No. 571,668. (No model.)

T0 or whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PHILIP W. CO'CHRANE, of Spring City, county ofChester, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Mechanism for Nap ping Fabrics, of which the following isa specification.

This invention has reference to a device for producing a napped surfaceon fabrics, and it relates more particularly to a napping attachment forcircular-knitting machines acting to produce a tubular-knitted fabric,the object of the invention being to raise a uniform nap on the innersurface of the tubular fabric either during or after its formation.

To this end the invention consists,primarily, of a plurality of rotarynapping wheels or brushes mounted on a casing or frame sustained withinthe tubular fabric in such position that the wheels or brushes willcontact with the inner surface of the fabric.

The invention also consists in operating the napping brush or brushesthrough the medium of a driving-frame connected operatively to thenapping-brush and adapted to be engaged and driven by the revolvingfabric.

The invention also consists in the details of construction andcombination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings I have represented my invention as appliedto a knitting-machine of the well-known circular type, in which the workis produced in tubular form and during its formation revolved with theneedle-cylinder; but it is to be understood that my invention may beused in connection with machines in which the work does not revolve andin other connections, the essential requirement being that the fabricwill surround the napping device in such manner that its inner surfacewill be subjected to the action of the rotary napping-brushes.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of acircular-knitting machine having my invention applied thereto, a portionof the tubular fabric being torn away to expose to view the nappingdevice within. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal sectional elevationthrough the lower portion of the machine, showing particularly theconstruction of the napping device and the preferred manner of operatingthe same through the medium of a driving-frame engaged with therevolving fabric. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional elevation on the line2 2 of Fig. 2, looking upward. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of amodification.

In the drawings, 1 represents an annular ring or frame sustained at thetop of standards 2, rising from a second ring 3, which is in turnmounted on the top of legs 4.

5 represents a needle-cylinder mounted to revolve in the ring 1 anddriven by a pinion 6, engaging gear-teeth on the lower edge of thecylinder in the usual manner.

7 represents a dial sustained at the top of the cylinder to revolvetherewith by a vertical hanger 8, fixed at its upper end to a crosstree9, which is sustained at the outer ends of two posts 10, extendingupward from the ring-frame 1.

The foregoing may be of the usual construc tion, and they constitute theprincipal parts of a knitting-machine of the well-known dial andcylinder type, the fabric knitted thereby being in tubular form an drevolving with the cylinder dnrin g its formation. It is usual to takeup this fabric as fast as it is formed by a take-up mechanism,consisting of two rolls 1 11, geared together side by side in a take-upframe comprising two vertical arms 12, fixed at their upper ends to theneedle-cylinder and at their lower ends to a disk or plate 13, mountedto revolve in the ring-frame 3, before alluded to. The work extendsdownward'between these rolls, which by their revolution draws the samedownward, a rotary motion being imparted to the rolls by a suitablemechanism controlled by the rotation of the takeup frame.

In applying my invention to a machine of this nature I extend the hanger8 downward some distance below the needlecylinder and firmly secure itto a casing 14, in the form of an inverted cup, which casing is closedat its top and open at its bottom. It is provided in its side withopenings 15, through which the napping-brushes act on the surroundingfabric, as presently described. This casing gives support to nappingbrushes or wheels 16, in the present instance four in number, eachconsisting of a disk or wheel provided on its peripheral edge withclosely-set metal brushing-teeth, these wheels having fixed to theirupper sides pinions 1'7, and they are mounted loosely on journals 18,depending from the top of the casing. The diameter of thebrushing-wheels and their location are such that they will project attheir edges through the openings in the sides of the casing, as plainlyshown in Figs. 2 and 3, and will contact with the inner surface of thetubular fabric which surrounds the casing as it is drawn downward by thetake-up rolls.

I prefer to rotate the napping-wheels in a direction opposite to that ofthe tubular fabric and by means of a central driving-pinion 19, mountedat the center of the casing and engaging the four pinions fixed to thenapping-wheels. This central pinion is rotated through the medium of adriving-frame 20, fixed at its upper end to the pinion and diverging atits lower end,where it is somewhat wider than the diameter of thetubular fabric, the arrangement being such that the fabric will be drawnby the take-up rolls tightly around the lower portion of the frame andwill grip or clamp the same, and when rotated will carry the framearound and impart a corresponding movement to the central drivingpinion,which, engaging the pinions of the napping-wheels, will rotate the samein the opposite direction. The wheels projecting through the openings inthe casing will act on the moving fabric and will progressively raise onits inner surface a uniform and regular nap.

It is to be understood that the nappingwheels may be driven in otherways and in the same direction as the work moves. This is accomplished,as shown in Fig. 4, by providing two intermediate pinions orfrictionwheels 21 in position to be engaged bya central driving-pinionor friction-wheel, each of the intermediate wheels driving the twoadjacent napping-wheels by engaging frictionwheels thereon.

It will be understood that instead of locating the napping-wheels andtheir sustaining casing between the cylinder and take-up rolls they maybe located beyond the take -up mechanism, the essential requirementbeing that the fabric will surround them, whether during its formationon a knitting-machine or whether it is sustained and guided in a specialapparatus.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a nappingdevice, the combination with a frame or casing adapted to be whollyinclosed by a tubular fabric, of a series of rotary napping-wheelsmounted in said casing in position to act at different points on theinner surface of the fabric, and suitable mechanism for rotating saidwheels simultaneously; whereby the inner surface of the fabric will beacted on at different points simultaneously by the wheels.

2. The combination with a casing adapted to be wholly inclosed by atubular fabric, of napping-wheels journaled in said casing in positionto act on the surrounding fabric, pinions fixed to said wheels, acentral drivingpinion mounted in the casing and meshing with the pinionson the wheels, and means for rotating said central driving-pinion.

3. The combination with means for rotating a tubular fabric, of a frameor casing adapted to be wholly inclosed by the fabric, a movablenapping-brush mounted in said casing in position to act on the innersurface of the fabric, a driving-frame operatively connected at one endto said brush and having its opposite end arranged to be inclosed andembraced by the fabric; whereby the rotation of the fabric will operatethe brush through the medium of the connecting driving-frame.

4:. The combination with means for rotating a tubular fabric, of a frameor casing in position to be surrounded by the fabric, a series ofnapping-wheels mounted in said casing to act on the surrounding fabric,a driving-pinion adapted to rotate said wheels, and a driving-frameconnected to said pinion and formed to be engaged and driven by thefabric.

5. The combination with a circular-knitting machine acting to produce atubular fabric revoluble with the needle-cylinder, of a rotary take-upmechanism, a casing or frame sustained by the machine between itscylinder and the take-up mechanism, rotary napping-wheels mounted on thecasing in position to act on the surrounding fabric, a driving-piniongeared to said wheels, and a driving-frame connected to thedriving-pinion and arranged to be clamped or embraced by the fabricbefore it is grasped by the take-up.

6. The combination with a circular-knitting machine, acting to produce atubular fabric revoluble with the needle-cylinder, of a rotary take-upmechanism comprising two rolls, acting to draw the work downward betweenthem, a frame or casing sustained by the machine between the cylinderand the take up, a series of rotary napping-wheels mounted in the casingand arranged to act on the surrounding fabric, a central driving-pinionfor rotating the napping-wheels, and a driving-frame connected at itsupper end to the driving -pinion and terminating at its lower endadjacent to the take up rolls; whereby the rolls in drawing the fabricbe tween them will cause it to tightly embrace the driving-frame andrevolve the same.

7. The combination with a circular-knitting machine having theneedle-cylinder, a dial sustained by a central post or hanger, and atake-up mechanism revoluble with the cylinder, of a frame or casingattached to the 558,353 I I a hanger, a rotary napping-brush mounted onthe casing, and a driving-frame geared at its In testimony whereof Ihereunto set my hand, this 25th day of November, 1895, in the upper endto said brush and having its lower presence of two attesting witnesses.end terminating adjacent to the take up mechanism; whereby the latter intaking up the fabric will cause it to embrace the driving-frame.

PHILIP W. COCHRANE. Witnesses:

J AMES' ROGERS,

CHARLES MoGrNNIs.

